Just Answer it Jack
He stared out the window of his apartment sniffing the LA air still not used to smelling the fresh scent of the ocean and trees. He sipped his water slowly almost missing the water he would drink from the streams, from the caves. It was all so different, he didn't know why but everything seemed to have changed in some way or another.
He turned his head slightly to see the phone he kept, the one that would ring all the time when he first left, but he never answered it. It was the people he left behind, not important any more. Though of course he didn't believe that, he missed them all. He had been selfish. He missed them all.
He missed the way Michael would run around calling for his son, the way people would get in fights with Sawyer and Hurley's constant attempts to make everyone happy. He missed Charlie and his guitar playing, Claire and her whiny voice, Locke and his ways of being connected to someone that had died in some way.
But most of all he missed her. The way her face always played a small smile even when she was angry, when she lied she would always admit it to him. The way her blonde hair felt. He missed her, she was his. Not Ben's but his, she was his Juliet.
Then there was Kate. God how he loved her. At least she made it off with him. Though it had been two years and they haven't talked since his pathetic attempt to tell her that they had to go back. Actually bringing her to the air-port in hope that she would get on a plane with him and she turned him down. She told him that it was over, done with. That it didn't matter that they couldn't go back. He still loved her, with all his heart. He still felt something for her. He knew that, he knew it would always be there, no matter what she said or did.
He looked at the phone again setting down his glass as the light started to flash. They were phoning him, it had been about a year since they last phoned, and now they are phoning him. He wanted to pick it up but he couldn't. It didn't work that way.
Just answer it Jack. He said to himself. Just ask them if they're all right, if they need anything, if they are still mad at him. How many had died. Just answer it Jack.
He nodded to himself knowing that he had to; he had to answer the satellite phone he had gotten from Dan. He needed to. So he walked slowly towards the phone holding his shaking finger out.
"You're actually going to answer it?" A voice sounded from the chair that sat in the dark corner of the living room.
"Kate? What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see if you're going to answer the phone or not, and obviously you are, so do it. Answer the phone but keep it on speaker."
Jack stared at the dark finger in the corner of his living room. He just slowly nodded and slightly touched the button on phone.
"Did someone actually answer the bloody phone this time?" A familiar whiny voice sounded.
Kate looked up at Jack. "I missed you." He whispered
"Not now Jack." She said aloud.
"John! It's Kate and I'm guessing Jack!"
"Jack? Kate?" John's voice sounded.
"Kate how did you manage to get into my house, did you break a window? Did you knock down my door? Huh? How did you break in my house?" Jack yelled taking a step towards her.
"The back door was unlocked Jack, now I have to hurry Aaron is in the van and I am not about to leave him in there for long, I just came to tell Claire or who ever is on the sat. phone that I'm getting a boat that is owned by Ben and I'm coming back to the island, me and Hurley, maybe even Sayid are coming."
"What am I not invited, and since when do you want to go back. You practically told me to leave you alone when I told you that we had to go back."
"Sayid said that if you want to come be in Berlin at eleven am sharp. Good-bye John, Claire, see you soon. And how about we try and keep this a surprise for the others. You know how I like to make an entrance." With that she started to walk away.
"Kate, why haven't we talked in about a year?"
"Because Jack, I wasn't ready."
"Okay well I'll see you in Spain." He yelled as the door was slammed closed then he hung up the satellite phone.
Kate got in her va and looked at the sleeping two year old boy in the back seat. Her son, Aaron James Austen. And she loved him. She smiled and he turned his head to look at the window moaning slightly as she awoke.
He yawned and then pointed at the window "Uncle Jack."
Kate turned her head to look at him standing in his door way. She slowly opened her window. "Something you want Doctor?"
"Yeah, I want you to know that I'm coming, well I'm going to Spain, and then getting on the boat with you. But where in Spain?"
"If you want to come you have to come to Berlin with me. We are meeting Ben and Sayid there. I have to pick up Hurley tonight. We're having a road-trip, if you want to come pack all your food, flash lights, and water bottles, all that stuff that they can use back home and then get in."
"Home?" Jack questioned slightly surprised.
"Yeah, the island… Home," She smiled.
"Alright, but I want you to come in and help me." He said raising an eye brow.
She nodded and got out of the car. She helped Aaron out and walked him up the walk way. "He's grown." Jack said picking him up.
"Yeah, he looks like his dad too."
"Let's hope he's not like his father, you know a professional con artist."
"Well let's hope he's not like his mother, you know a wanted fugitive. A murderer."
Jack looked into her hurt eyes. "No I think I'd like him better if he was like you."
Kate smiled and laughed. "So do you boxes?" Jack nodded and put Aaron down. He grabbed a few boxes and together they started to pack stuff that they could use on the island.
After about three hours they were happy with what they had packed in the three large boxes and two bags. They stacked them in the back of the van and started for the LA mental hospital to pick up Hugo.
"Hey guys what you so long?" He asked as they snuck into his room.
"We were packing, now come on we have to hurry." Kate said leading the way out of the hospital.
"So…we are like going to take a road trip to Germany?" Hurley asked.
"No, we are going to get on a plane, Ben wants us to get on, we will be able to take all our stuff don't worry."
They drove for a few hours till they came to a small farm where Jack saw there was a plane in the field
They got out and greeted the pilot before getting on the plane. They few through the air watching as the dark sky became bright with the sun. Aaron was asleep as was Hurley when they finally landed. Kate kissed Jack on the cheek.
"What was that for?"
"Coming with me." She said brightly picking up the baby.
They departed to plane to find Sayid, Ben, Sun and a baby girl standing there. They greeted each other happily.
"Aaron is starting to look like Sawyer," Ben said smiling.
"Yeah. He is." Kate picked up the little boy as the boxes were put down beside Jack.
They carried the boxes to the bus like vehicle that was beside the plane and set them in the back. They piled into the vehicle driving away.
Two days later they came to a harbor where a large ship awaited them. They boarded taking one last look at the land they were about to leave for good then they started home.
They left us three years ago…that is a long time. I wonder if they'll ever come home…
He sat watching the ocean waves splashing the shore before backing away and then coming back and splashing the shore again. He missed the beach and was glad that John had finally let them go back, not that living in a house with air conditioners were bad or anything. But he missed sleeping in his own tent with his owns stuff.
He sighed slightly as a seagull landed in front of him and started to squawk. "Go away you damn bird," He said kicking sand at it. He watched it raise into the air and fly into the horizon, into the sun rise. It was there he saw the outline of a boat, a ship of some sort. It was defiantly there.
"Locke!" He screamed jumping up and running towards the hunter man who was currently skinning a boar. "Locke!" He screamed again.
"Hello James, what can I help you with?"
"A ship, a damn son of bitch boat. In the horizon." He panted.
John stood up and looked out into the sun rise. "Do you think it's Widmore again?" Juliet asked walking towards him.
John shook his head smiling. "It's Ben." He said simply. Then he sat back down and continued skinning the boar.
"How do know that?" James pressured.
"Because he said that he'd be back. And now he is."
"Sawyer just give up, he's not going to tell you any more. Come on let's just watch it." Juliet said placing a hand on his forearm.
James gave her a cold look then stalked back to his tent sitting back down he watched as the ship because more visible. He sat there like that for about four hours, by then it became apparent that almost the whole beach knew about the on coming ship. It wasn't until about noon when the first sign of movement came from the ship when a helicopter took off and started for the island.
James got up and watched as it flew over the beach; a head was sticking out of it. He knew immediately that she was back. Kate was home. "KATE!" He screamed though his voice was drowned out by the noise the helicopter was making.
He ran after it followed by most of the beach. Juliet by his side he stopped as the helicopter landed a few feet away and he was certain he saw her. She was there, Kate was Home. So was Jack.
They stepped out of the helicopter and stood there watching the group of old friends and lovers that was stand in front of them. John pushed to the front of the crowd and stood between Juliet and James.
He nodded at Kate who smiled. "Well John you obviously never told them that we were coming home."
John nodded quite aware of everyone staring at him. "I didn't believe it." He said simply a smile still on his face.
The pilot stepped out of the Helicopter. "Miss. Austen your son is still asleep."
"Thanks Randy." She said turning around and climbing back into the air craft. "We brought stuff, food, flash lights, towels, sunscreen, bug repellant. And all that stuff."
"Yeah, here Kate pass me one of the boxes." Jack said turning around.
"How about you take Aaron." She said holding the toddler out to Jack.
Jack just nodded and placed the half asleep Aaron on his hip.
"Should I go back and get the rest of your friends?" Randy asked getting back in the helicopter.
"Yeah, I think they are coming back in the copter." Kate said placing the last box on the ground. "Sayid might not."
"Well I think I'll go back." Randy said starting up the helicopter again.
Kate just nodded and watched as the helicopter took off.
"So now what?" Jack said looking at Juliet who had that smile on her face.
"Down!" Aaron whined squirming in Jack's arms.
"Here, Jack give him back to me." Kate said holding out his arms.
Jack handed the baby back to Kate. He stopped squirming as she walked towards Sawyer who stared at her coldly already expecting her to tell him that the kid's his. "Howdy Freckles." He said sternly.
"Hey James."
She set the toddler on the ground and held out her arms. James smiled that rare smile and hugged her. That was where is started. After that one hug everyone was hugging Jack and Kate, saying hello to Aaron who was usually shy, but not this time.
They started back to the beach with the boxes. There was more people to greet there.
It was four hours later that everyone had arrived back to the island, they were finally all home, they were finally all happy once again….THE END!!